Posted By Christopher Dempsey On January 5, 2011 @ 4:37 pm In College Basketball,University of Colorado | No Comments

Here’s one NBA scout’s evaluation of Colorado guard Alex Burks:

“First time I watched Burks in person what struck me was his tremendous length for the position. I didn’t necessarily notice this as much on film. He’s a solid athlete with a good handle, and combined with his length, this allows him to get his shot off pretty much anywhere and at anytime. He can go wherever he wants to against most college teams thanks to his dribbling ability. He has an uncanny ability to make off balance shots off the bounce. I usually don’t like guys shooting when they aren’t balanced, but he has the ability to make these shots consistently. This is something that really can’t be taught. His scoring ability is legit and should translate to the next level…

One idiosyncrasy I noticed is that he shoots a true jumper from mid-range but more of a set-shot from beyond the arc. I would like his shot to be the same every time. He doesn’t yet have NBA three-point range. He has a tendency to dribble in to charges or turnovers and has to improve in this area. He can be a very good passer when he wants to be, but he sometimes gets tunnel vision and looks only at the rim. He must improve and get more active when the ball isn’t in his hands. He has a tendency to just stand or drift to the perimeter until he receives the ball again. His biggest weakness is his lack of defensive intensity. He often has a “too cool for school” look. When he’s defending on the weak-side away from the ball he often loses sight of the ball or his man and is susceptible to giving up back door lay-ups. This is frustrating to watch because his length and athleticism could make him a great on the ball defender and also a menace in the passing lanes.

As it stands now, I could see him going as high as the late teens or as far back as late first round. Definitely think he’s a first round talent, though.”

SHARP CUTS: It’s been a dismal start for Jeff Bzdelik, who left the University of Colorado for Wake Forest after last season. His team is 6-8 with four straight losses going into today’s game against High Point and turns the ball over 16.2 times per game. … Xavier Silas, who started his career at CU is third in the nation in scoring so far this season, averaging 24.5 points per game for Ricardo Patton’s Northern Illinois Huskies, who are out to a 4-8 start this season.